It's Never Too late
by TheVioletPhoenix
Summary: One thing I learned growing up with a mother like Rachel Morgan and a Godfather like Joe Solomon is that it's never too late. Roommates like Liz, Bex, and Macey and a boyfriend like Zach only inforces the idea. But, what happens when you forget?
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING, ALL RIGHTS TO ALLY CARTER. **

**MY FIRST STORY REVIEWS APPRECIATED.**

Chapter 1

I had planned to come back after summer break. I really had. It didn't work out. The first month was okay, I mean I hadn't been caught yet by the Circle of Cavan, my mother, my godfather Joe Soloman, or my friends and boyfriend for that matter, but I still didn't have any answers. Not even a clue. Not to where the Circle was, not who was in it, not how to stop it, and nothing about my father. That was the worst part, I had left everyone behind for what, to keep them safe, yes, but would it really help? I was causing myself pain and probably them too, just so I could sit around all day in a dingy hotel room in a small Rome town scoping out the CIA database for any hints.

Well, that all definitely changed on the second month. I had finally found something in the database, a suspected Circle member. I hadn't had anything to do for two months so I could barely restrain myself long enough to come up with something that even resembled a plan. Tail him. And hope he leads me to something useful, maybe headquarters or other members anything would be useful, something to make me feel like I'm actually doing something.

I started tailing him two days later. Being the chameleon I am he didn't notice me at all. It was easy, too easy. I was _bored_. I'd been tailing him for two weeks and all I found out is he works as a bartender at local night club 9:00 PM to 1:30 AM on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturdays. He also has a preference for a Klondike Bars. I wonder what he would do for one.

I was beginning to think he wasn't a member and was about to stop tailing him when on Thursday, 1:37:09 he turned. He had just gotten of work, when he gets off work he always turns right (the way to his apartment). Today he turned left. Where was he going at this time of night? I didn't know, but I followed this could be what I was waiting for!

We walked two blocks, took a right, three more blocks, a left, one block, and then… then I was ambushed.

It was a trap.

There were at least twenty people, all in black and now all surrounding me. I was frozen everything I had ever learned in P&E, in ., and in all the breaks spent training with Joe decided to take a vacation out of my head. This was not going to end well. I had no back-up and as good as I was (when I could actually remember how to fight) there was no way I could take twenty people and survive. But, I had to try. I mean I was always taught that it's never too late.

My years of training decided to return when I had that thought, it gave me strength, or maybe it was hearing the chilling, menacing, condescending voice that, much to my chagrin, still gave me nightmares.

"What do we have here? Can it be the Princess Cameron outside the castle walls?" Zach's mother, Catherine Goode, gasped mockingly.

"What do you want?" I said trying to sound much more confident than I felt.

"I told you already, we just want to help you remember."

"Well, I don't want your help. Thanks anyways, bye now." I started looking for a way out of the circle, some weakness. Sadly I found none, I did not really expect to though.

"Get her." How many times had those words replayed in my head? How many times had I miraculously escaped them, or more accurately been rescued from them? I didn't know what was going to happen, but I knew one thing for sure.

This time I wouldn't be rescued.

But, maybe I would ,I mean, it's never too late, I think.

**THANKS FOR READING! PLEASE REVIEW. MORE CHAPTERS TO COME!**


	2. Chapter 2

**ALL RIGHTS TO ALLY CARTER!**

Chapter 2

They all came at me at once. I kicked, I flipped, I punched, I tried everything I knew, but it wasn't enough. A man soon had me pinned and was pressing a rag to my face, I could smell the drugs , but there was nothing I could do my arms were held to my sides and it's not like I could just stop breathing.

They had me and I could feel the black taking over. I had to fight. I had to stay awake. I…

Every thought left my mind as the drug took over and I became unconscious.

I felt cold metal against my skin with my wrists and ankles so tightly bound it was painful. _Where am I? _Then my earlier activities came back to me. I was tailing a Circle agent and was ambushed it was a trap. Guess I'm not as good at tailing as I thought. I must be at the Circle of Cavan's headquarters then.

I was captured.

I was going to be tortured.

I would not give them what they want. I don't actually know what they want though, so I might not be able to keep it from them. Maybe they just want to see me tortured. I wouldn't put it past Catherine.

How someone as sweet as Zach could come from that woman I will never know. It must have been his father's genes. That's something me and Zach have in common, no idea what happened to fathers, if their dead or not.

_Stop thinking about Zach!_ I miss him so much, all the others too. Bex's outgoing ready to kick butt attitude, Liz's logical explanation for everything, Macey's shrieking about my outfit, Abby's way of making everyone feel better with just a few words. And Mom, Dad was ripped away from her and then I left, I'm a horrible daughter and friend.

Then there is Joe. He always told me- backup always have it or always stay at home. I'm starting to wish I had listened; I'm starting to wish he was here, he could always fix everything. But, out of them all I probably miss Zach the most, his smile, no smirk, his reassuring voice, the safe feeling I get when I'm in his arms. I can't get that anywhere else. I haven't felt safe in a long time.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by the sound of footsteps down the hall. I finally looked up and took in my surroundings. I was in a dimly lit room; there was white tile on the floor with a metal drain at my feet, this only helped my prediction of torture, there were white walls, and a metal door directly in front of me. No windows, there goes that idea of escape, there was a vent in the ceiling though, it won't help me though unless I get out this chair.

The footsteps stopped. I heard the doorknob turn.

In stepped Catherine Goode, complete with the Circle of Cavan ring on her finger.

Let the torture begin.

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	3. Chapter 3

**I NOW REALISE HOW SHORT MY CHAPTERS ARE, I'M TRYING TO FIX IT SORRY!**

**ALL RIGHTS TO ALLY CARTER.**

Chapter 3

**Bex's POV**

I watched as the rain splattered against the window in Headmistress Morgan's office. The sky was dark and every so often a clap of thunder could be heard of a flash of lightning seen streaking across the sky. It was a perfect setting for my mood, for all of our moods.

Liz, Macey, Abby, Mr. Solomon(he had woken up about a month ago and filled him in), Mrs. Morgan, Zach and I all sat together in the quiet office. The other students and staff were eating dinner; we didn't actually feel like eating. It had been like this for the past two months, 3 weeks, 1 day, 7… well you get the picture, I was pretty torn up about Cammie leaving.

We all were.

And we all coped with it differently; for me Liz and Macey, it just brought us closer, it was like we all were afraid another one of us would just up and leave in the middle of the night, which we were, it did the same for Abby and Mr. Solomon, it was the final push they needed to final get together, but they were scared to be truly happy, how could you when your niece or goddaughter ran away?

Zach and Mrs. Morgan were a different story; Zach blamed himself for Cammie leaving because, as he claims, he put the idea in her head. The rest of us know that's not true, Cammie would have got the idea one way or another and left, He doesn't listen though he's just pulled away and closed himself off. Mrs. Morgan was the same her fire disappeared, she was just a shell now. But, who could blame her, her husband ripped away and now her daughter. How could Cammie do that to her? To all of us?

Cammie was a best friend, a niece, a goddaughter, a daughter, and a girlfriend. And she left, with nothing more than a note left behind. She ran away, no I'm sorry toward. Toward answers. I understand that, but she still shouldn't have run away. She says she's trying to keep us safe. She doesn't understand we'd risk our lives for her; we don't want to be kept safe. We want to help, help find answers, help protect her, help take down the people trying to kill her.

What if she was captured by the Circle, what would they do to her? Torture no doubt. She would have no one to save her…

"THAT'S IT!" I screamed.

Everyone looked up and out of their own depressing thoughts, shocked at my outburst.

"I AM TIRED OF US SITTING AROUND ON OUR BUTTS DOING NOTHING. CAMMIE NEEDS US SHE MAY NOT KNOW IT BUT SHE DOES, WE ARE GING TO FIND HER AND WE ARE GOING TO DO WHATEVER THE BLOODY HECK SHE IS DOING WITH HER!" My British accent started to slip out in my anger. "NOW I DON'T CARE IF YOU ALL ARE GOING TO HELP ME OR NOT I AM DOING THIS!" I finished my angry rant looking at them all to see their shocked and slightly scared faces.

Everyone was silent I started to leave in a huff when I heard a soft voice.

"I'm in." Zach had opened the flood gates.

It was like that was everyone's wake up call. The air was soon filled with let's do this's and where do we start's, I could already here the tapping of Liz's laptop as she started hacking and searching for any hints on Cammie's whereabouts.

"Let's start by thinking of places she would go first, there might be some clue left behind there. Somewhere where she could collect her thought and figure out what her plan was, she left in the middle of the night remember." I heard Mr. Solomon's cool voice say.

"It would have to be somewhere pretty close, on her first night she couldn't have gotten far." Abby said.

"Maybe a hotel?" I suggested

"I doubt that, remember she's hiding she knows I could hack into cameras and hotel databases in a heartbeat. The Circle to for that matter." Liz replied.

"She would go somewhere she felt safe, but the only place I can think of that's near enough is here, at Gallagher." The Headmistress said. I could see a flicker of her fire return.

At that Macey's eyes lit up and a soft smile graced her face.

"I got it."

We'd been riding in Liz's greatly improved mini-van for fifteen minutes, with Mr. Solomon driving and Headmistress Morgan in front with the rest of us in the back, when Mr. Solomon finally broke the silence.

"Why, Miss McHenry, do you believe Cammie went to my cabin?" He asked.

"She told me, when she found me after I had run away, that she would have gone there too in she was in my place. She said she felt safe there." Macey replied.

It made sense. I mean, it was a safe house of the great Joseph Solomon, which meant it had the best security possible. That meant it was safe. But, I had a feeling it was for more sentimental and emotional feelings than that.

The car lapsed back into silence and stayed that way for the remainder of the drive, we were all lost in our own thoughts, mostly about Cammie and hopes that something at the cabin could lead us to her.

**Joe Solomon's POV**

I can't believe it took us this long to get started. She was gone for almost three months and we were just starting to search. When I woke up from the coma and was told Cammie had run away it was horrible, I can't believe I hadn't started looking for her right then, but I hadn't. It was very likely that we were too late now; the Circle could already have her.

I just have to believe in Cammie and what I always told her, it's never too late. I just hope that and Miss McHenry's idea is true.

**PHEW THAT WAS A LONG ONE! THANKS FOR READING REVIEWS APPRECIATED!**


	4. Chapter 4

**SO, AT THIS POINT I THINK I'LL BE UPDATEING ONCE A WEEK DEPENDING ON MY SCHEDULE.**

**AS ALWAYS IT BELONGS TO ALLY CARTER.**

Chapter 4

**Joe Solomon's POV**

She had definitely been here. You wouldn't have noticed it at first glance, but she had. The missing supplies in my shed had proven it.

We all spread out and looked throughout in search of something. Liz was in the control room looking at footage from the security cameras I installed when she shouted out.

"Guys! Look at this!" She sounded very shocked.

"What is Lizzy, did you find something?" Bex questioned.

"Look." Was all Liz said in reply. We all looked at the computer screen.

There on screen stood my precious goddaughter.

And a man. They were deep in conversation.

"Who's that?" Zach asked.

In a very un-Liz like fashion she simply ignored him and instead said.

"I think Cammie knew about the cameras. I mean, I have complete access to video, but no audio. It's been disabled."

"Well then un-disable it." Said a slightly annoyed Zach, while completely disregarding the fact that it is very unlikely that "un-disable" is a word.

"You try to reboot a completely demolished bug!"

"GUYS!" Rachel shouted." We have more important things to do, one being finding out who the man is, and another understanding why Cammie left any bugs. But, I think we can ignore the latter, don't want to look a gift horse in the mouth do we?"

"Replay that footage Liz we can try to lip-read." Abby suggested.

"That won't work; both their backs are turned to all the cameras. We can't see their mouths". Abby swore under breath.

"What do we do now?" Bex asked. I had an idea.

"Hang on; she had to contact him to get him here right?" I asked and received nods from everybody. "So, let's start at the beginning. Is there footage of a phone call in there?"

"Umm, yeah. Two days earlier. I'll play it." Liz said after a second of searching. We all watched the clip. Cammie was pacing back and forth in the kitchen area of the cabin with a phone to her ear. Then she abruptly stopped. She started talking. The girls and Zach started becoming very frustrated when they couldn't understand anything, they hadn't covered lip-reading yet. Rachel, Abby, and I just fell into a very concentrated silence. The clip ended.

"Alright, since the little squirt kept moving I only got "Hello, it's me." You guys get anything." Abby was really mad, I could also see a bit of desperation in her eyes, she couldn't do something, and that something could have led her to her niece. Not a good time for her, I comfortingly wrapped my arm around her. She leaned into me.

"I got "I need to talk to you as soon as possible." So, she obviously knows him. But when could she have met any kind of contact, I don't know." Rachel replied. I was wondering that as well.

"Well, ignore that for now if we find him we can ask him, so let's find him. What I got might help with that, I think I got his name, though it's probably his codename." I said.

"What is it?" Macey asked.

"Phoenix." Everyone was quiet wondering who the Phoenix was. Abby broke the silence.

"We need to get back. It's time for some serious searching."

"CIA database here I come." Liz muttered.

I think I might brush up on my hacking skills as well, or call in a few favors.

**Cammie's POV**

I'd been here for two days. Two days, 9 hours, 12 minutes, and 47 seconds to be exact. In, that amount of time I had accumulated many injuries including bruises, cut, burns, broken bones (three fingers and two ribs), bumps, and possibly a concussion. If they want me to remember something I really don't think injuring my head will help, geez.

All of those injuries were caused by Catherine, much to her pleasure. And to her greater pleasure she is currently looking at her table of "tools", as she calls them, to decide how exactly she would injure me now.

"You know," I said," I don't really see how this will help me remember anything." It was supposed to come out strong, challengingly. It sound weak instead, I guess that's what two days without food and minimal water on top of torture does to you.

"Quiet." She replied.

"Oh come on, would you stop giving me mixed messages here. First you want me to talk; now you're telling me not to." Why was I doing this it would only cause me more pain.

"But, then again the Circle makes no sense. I mean what are you fighting for? Terrorists do stupid life threatening things for reasons like religion or they don't like the government. The Circle of Cavan however does it for no reason." I am digging a huge hole for myself. Why do I hate myself so much?

"Shut up before I lose my temper!" Yup, I'm in some deep trouble.

"I mean it's like your soul purpose is to get information from a teenage girl, me, who has no idea of what you're talking about."

"Alright sweetheart. If you want to be so annoying today it looks like we'll have to teach you to respect me. I'll get the charges." Catherine grinned evilly. That meant electrocution. That is not good, electrocution is probably the worst torture technique they've used so far.

"And why don't we add a few things to make it a little more fun." What does that mean? I was really starting to worry now.

"RICH! Bring in the camera; I think I'll send my dear son an early Christmas present."

Oh no. They can't. Oh God. A man that I assume is Rich walks in and starts to set up a video camera directly in front of my chair. He is soon followed by Catherine with the charges. She starts to connect the wires to the metal chair I'm sitting on. I remained sitting motionlessly in the chair. There wasn't much that I could do.

But, this could actually work in my favor. Liz is a genius I'm sure that she could trace the video or something and they could come and get me. I'm sure they can save me.

A red light flashed on the camera signaling that it was recording. Signaling that it was time to begin.

Catherine turned the knob on the fuse box.

White hot burning pain shot through my body. As much as I tried I couldn't keep the scream from escaping my lips. My screeches and Catherine's maniac laughter soon filled the air.

It stopped. I was sobbing. Catherine was laughing. The red light was flashing. It started. I screamed. Catherine laughed. It stopped. I sobbed. Catherine laughed. The light flashed. It repeated.

**THIS ONE WAS A BIT DARK. I KNOW. THANKS FOR READING! PLEASE REVIEW!**


	5. Chapter 5

**SOO, THE WEEKLY THING DIDN'T WORK OUT… BUT I'LL TRY PROMISE! **

**ALL TO ALLY!**

Chapter 5

**Zach's POV**

Everyone has been searching nonstop for hours now for this Phoenix guy. I'm starting to get pretty frustrated; there is no trace of this guy _anywhere. _And I mean anywhere, no sign in any database, in any country, or company, store, living quarters, or even black market dealers, no one really wanted to ask Joe how he knew that.

This guy was impressive, as much as I hate to admit it, he has spent his whole life without a trace. How do you do that? _I_ can't do that!

We're currently in sublevel two's hacking room; it's just a big room with a bunch of computers despite how much Liz says it's so much more, but the computers are state of the art and equipped with some impressive hacking stuff. It painfully obvious that I'm not the only frustrated one, in our time here Macey has allowed her hair and makeup to be messed up, this may not seem like a lot but this is crazy for her I assure you, Abby hasn't said a word, and she talks a lot, Bex broke a monitor by punching it into a useless state, something Mrs. Morgan didn't even comment on even though the price of that computer was great, and Mrs. Morgan herself had tears streaming down her face blotching her usually flawless skin, and I don't think Liz has blinked for a humanly impossible amount of time.

Solomon as always was perfectly calm, at least on the outside. Cammie is everything to him; I doubt he could be truly calm right now.

I was seriously about to follow Bex's example and break a few things when there was a knock at the door. A security guard stepped in holding thin white mailing box, about an inch tall eight inches long, he respectfully ignoring the scene in front of him and walked up to me.

"This was in the mail, it's for you, it's been checked and scanned nothing dangerous is in there." He handed me the package and then he walked out.

I looked at the box warily who would be sending me something?

"Just open it, he said it was safe nothing is going to happen." Macey urged me.

I was still wary, who would send me something?

"Uhg," Macey snatched the box from my hands and tore it open, she pulled out the contents. It was an old, unlabeled VHS tape with a folded piece of paper taped to it. Macey pulled of the paper, unfolded it, and read.

"_My Darling Son,_

_ Here's an early Christmas present, remember how you used to love those action movies? You know where the hero was captured but then was rescued or escaped? Well this one is a little different. _

_Hope you like it,_

_Mommy"_

There was a chilling silence where everyone stared at the tape with much more fear.

"We need to watch it, it could have a clue."Bex said.

"Yeah, maybe I could trace the creator of it." Liz suggested.

"That wouldn't work it's not digital like a DVD." Abby said sadly.

"We still have to watch it." Mrs. Morgan replied.

I had never seen some of the CIA's best operatives look scared much less of a tape. But, that's what my mother and an implied Cammie can do to someone, including myself.

"Dabney has an old VHS player, for some older movies. Let's go to her classroom." Joe said with a grim determination.

We soon arrived in Madam Dabney's tea room, Bex and Macey were rolling out the old TV as Mrs. Morgan, Abby, and Solomon sat on one of the couches and Liz at one of the tables, Bex and Macey soon joined her while I leaned against the back wall half concealed in the shadows.

In the tense silence Liz reached for the remote and pressed play, the screen was blue for a minute before we saw the image of Cammie tied to a metal chair and hooked up to multiple wires, which in turn were connected to a fuse box, which in turn had my mother's hand on the knob, which in turn caused what we were currently witnessing; a screaming Cammie and a laughing Catherine.

This was my mother, the person who was supposed to love and nurture me and by extent the things that made me happy, Cammie. Well she was never much of a mother before, it was always my dad, he's gone and now this is what I have under the title of family

I can't stand this we are sitting around and watching as Cammie gets electrocuted and god knows what else. I can't exactly storm a Circle base even if I knew where one was so I'll start at the beginning. I'll start with Phoenix. I've been unconsciously walking out of the tearoom and to the doors leading outside this whole time barely aware of my surroundings. The others haven't tried to stop me so there probably in the same state or just thought I'd need space, that suits me fine, I'm going to need time to find this Phoenix guy. He's either really good or has nothing to do with the government if he is in none of the databases. Maybe she was just looking for a fake ID, lots of high-schoolers get them from a someone maybe that was him. But, he seemed to know her personally she just had to say 'it's me'.

There' a pain in my heart that hurts so much it's almost physical, thinking directly of Cammie makes me see her screaming in that chair. I shake my head as I walk to the woods I have to stay focused; I can't help stop the pain if I don't focus.

Phoenix. Phoenix. Who is this F-ing Phoenix guy? I'm so consumed in my thoughts that I almost don't notice the man walking up behind me. I spun around and kicked, but the guy caught and blocked it. I threw a punch; he blocked that too and threw a punch of his own right in my gut. He then knocked my legs out from under me and I fell. Before he could do anymore I swept my legs under him knocking him down next to me. This whole time I still hadn't managed to get a look at his face. It soon became a wrestling match before I managed to get up, the mystery guy following me. He was tall, probably around 6" 2', broad shoulders, jet black messy hair.

He was good; I couldn't pull one over on him.

I tried to punch him again, this time he caught my arm and twisted it behind my back, my other soon followed, and after a moment of struggling against him he tied my hands together. One of his hands reached around me a pushed a rag to my face as much as I struggled, kicking out and doing everything I could, the blackness so overcame me and I lost consciousness.

**Joe Solomon POV**

Zach didn't show up for dinner. I hadn't seen him since he walked out of the room while we were watching… it. He probably needed some space; it _was_ his mother doing that. But, still I can't help but worry, over time I've come to care for him like a son. I can't lose him now too.

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